U.S./Israel Parallels on Terrorism

With both nations facing a similar war against terrorism, it is wrong for the United States to demand more of Israel than it asks of itself.

The parallels between the dangers now faced by The United States and those long confronted by Israel become more striking every day. On Sept. 11, the United States was victimized by an outrageous act of terrorism directed against innocent civilians. Our entirely appropriate military response has been carefully calculated to minimize civilian casualties. Yet inevitably there have been some. These deaths and injuries of Muslims have been used by our enemies to cast us into the role of powerful aggressors and those who support terrorism into the role of helpless victims.

A similar moral inversion has been directed against Israel for decades. Even before the Six Day War of 1967 and Israel's subsequent occupation of the West Bank, Israel was victimized by terrorism directed against children at play, worshipers at prayer, women at lunch, and most recently the murder of an elected official. When it has taken entirely appropriate military action in response, also designed to minimize civilian casualties, it has been condemned for the collateral consequences that inevitably accompany any military action.

When it has attempted to target only terrorist leaders - as with the recent policy of targeted assassination of terrorists who were planning future murders - even the United States joined the chorus of condemnation. Now our president has directed the CIA to target Osama bin Laden for assassination, and congressional leaders are applauding this order as designed to minimize the collateral killing of innocent Afghans.

The American Bill of Rights, though designed to preserve liberty, is not a suicide pact.

Israel's response to the widespread terrorism it faces has included administrative detention of suspected terrorists who cannot be brought to trial without endangering undercover sources of information. Again, there has been criticism against Israel (including from me). Now the United States has detained more than 700 people without trial and that number is likely to increase. Until recently Israel has occasionally employed what it calls "moderate physical pressure" - a euphemism for non-lethal torture - against suspected terrorists who are believed to know the location of "ticking bombs." Its Supreme Court recently outlawed this practice, but now there are voices within our own FBI seeking authority to use torture to learn of imminent terrorist threats.

Logan Airport in Boston just has hired the former head of security at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, and it is likely that American air travelers may be faced with the kind of tough security that Israeli air travelers have long had to endure.

The big picture is that daily life in America will come to resemble what daily life has been like in Israel for many years. We will go about our business, but always with one eye on the ever-present potential for terrorism.

Those who have committed terrorism against both the United States and Israel have grievances which they claim justify their resort to terrorism. The terrorists, and those who support them, ask us to understand the "root causes" of their despicable acts and to change our policies in response to them. When we do, we encourage other groups with perceived grievances to resort to terrorism as an effective means for achieving change.

These parallels should make Americans better understand the tragic choices confronted by the only American-type democracy in the Middle East which shares our values. The late Justice Arthur Goldberg, a strong civil libertarian, once observed that the American Bill of Rights, though designed to preserve liberty, is not a suicide pact.

Both nations are at war with evil forces determined to destroy the democratic values we jointly espouse.

Both the United States and Israel feel the need to defend themselves against terrorism, without unduly curtailing the rights of its citizens and even those suspected of terrorist acts. Both countries also recognize that they will make mistakes, but the difference between a democracy, which respects life, and a terrorist regime, which does not, is how it responds to these inevitable mistakes. When a young Palestinian boy was last year caught in the crossfire between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian gunmen, and died in his father's arms, there was near universal mourning among the Israelis for that unfortunate and accidental death, just as there is regret among Americans when an Afghan child is killed by an American bomb. This is to be contrasted with the dancing in the streets and the celebratory firing of guns by many Palestinians whenever an Israeli or Jewish child is deliberately murdered by Palestinian terrorists.

When the Israeli extremist Baruch Goldstein murdered Muslims at prayer several years ago, he was condemned across the political spectrum in Israel, with only a tiny number of zealots approving of his suicidal act. Contrast that response to the rock star status accorded suicide bombers by so many Palestinians.

The United States and Israel have been the primary victims of terrorism. They have employed comparable countermeasures in their laudable efforts to defend and protect their civilian populations against terror. It is wrong for the United States to demand more of Israel then it asks of itself.

Both nations are at war with evil forces determined to destroy the democratic values we jointly espouse. Our destinies are intertwined by common dangers and common values. We must stick together to defeat the evil forces of terror.

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About the Author

Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter professor of law at Harvard Law School, served as an attorney in several high-profile court cases, and is a sought-after commentator on the Arab–Israeli conflict. He is the author of some 25 books, including The Case for Israel.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 7

(7)
clarice feldman,
May 6, 2002 12:00 AM

Lawsuits against EU and US

Prof Dershowitz should sue the EU for funding PA terror and the US to enjoin further contributions for UNRWA.It is unspeakable that money from these groups goes to teach anti-Semitism,to fund terror and to shield those who engage in such actions.

(6)
Anonymous,
November 9, 2001 12:00 AM

Now America walks in Israel's shoes-

I'm friends with Mr.Dershowitz's "Midwood" cousins. I am in total agreement. It's a shame that it took Sept. 11th for more people to comment and comprehend that Israel has been dealing with this terror for over 53 years. However, not enough people realize this and not enough comment or commiserate with Israel publicly. Recently, at a townhall meeting we asked our Congressman Anthony Weiner(Bklyn.), why there is a double set of standards for actions against terrorists-Israel is always condemmed for the same actions. He replied that the U.S. has "alliances of conviences" mostly for oil.He recently took some
congressmen on a fact finding trip to Israel. I am proud to say that as my
congressman, he is one of the few , who
recognizes that Israel is our one true friend in the Middle East.He understands that "we both cannot fight terrorism with one hand tied behind our back".
As long as we continue to worship oil, we will be tied to Saudi Arabia and they are protecting Osama's family and wealth. Lastly, proportionately per population- Israel has lost the same amount of people to terrorism as we have. One innocent death is the same as one hundred or 5,000. And finally Mr. Dershowitz has stopped being so liberal. Maybe he has spent more time in Maalot Dafna??

(5)
Merwinna Stevens,
November 9, 2001 12:00 AM

Thank you

Dear Mr. Dershowitz,

I am glad someone in your position sees the truth!

My prayer is that the leaders of the United States recognize that our destiny has been linked with that of Israel by our common enemies.

Thank you for writing this article.

Sincerely,

Merwinna Stevens
aka "Miriam"

(4)
Chava Shoshanah Travis,
November 7, 2001 12:00 AM

Washington is Blind

It's too bad that our government can't see the parallels between the United States and Israel, although Israel sees it plain as day. You don't see Prime Minister Sharon urging Pres. Bush to negotiate with Osama bin Laden, or pressing our President to give bin Laden a state. (Which one? We have 50 of them.) If that sounds ridiculous to Americans, which it should, then why does our government feel it has the right impose those same ridiculous ideas on Israel?

This article hit the nail on the head. I wonder if any of the powers that be will ever see it?

(3)
Rob Mahaffy,
November 5, 2001 12:00 AM

Couldn't have said it better

This article reflects my views of the totally inverted view that the media projects about terrorists and the people that must deal with them. It truly got to the point but further took me by surprise when I read who the author was. I have been on the other side of the vast majority of Mr Dershowitz's views throughout the years. I'm glad to see that we can find common ground here.

(2)
james cook,
November 4, 2001 12:00 AM

Israel should have a free hand

(1)
Shira Levin,
November 4, 2001 12:00 AM

US/Israel: Paraelles in Terrorism

Americans have had to face what those in Israel have faced. Death at the hands of terrorists for the crime of being Jews and "occupying Palestian land." Our crime was in being Americans and supporting Israel. It's time our government recognize and support Israel's efforts to protect it's citizens.

I've been striving to get more into spirituality. But it seems that every time I make some progress, I find myself slipping right back to where I started. I'm getting discouraged and feel like a failure. Can you help?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Spiritual slumps are a natural part of spiritual growth. There is a cycle that people go through when at times they feel closer to God and at times more distant. In the words of the Kabbalists, it is "two steps forward and one step back." So although you feel you are slipping, know that this is a natural process. The main thing is to look at your overall progress (over months or years) and be able to see how far you've come!

This is actually God's ingenious way of motivating us further. The sages compare this to teaching a baby how to walk. When the parent is holding on, the baby shrieks with delight and is under the illusion that he knows how to walk. Yet suddenly, when the parent lets go, the child panics, wobbles and may even fall.

At such times when we feel spiritually "down," that is often because God is letting go, giving us the great gift of independence. In some ways, these are the times when we can actually grow the most. For if we can move ourselves just a little bit forward, we truly acquire a level of sanctity that is ours forever.

Here is a practical tool to help pull you out of the doldrums. The Sefer HaChinuch speaks about a great principle in spiritual growth: "The external awakens the internal." This means that although we may not experience immediate feelings of closeness to God, eventually, by continuing to conduct ourselves in such a manner, this physical behavior will have an impact on our spiritual selves and will help us succeed. (A similar idea is discussed by psychologists who say: "Smile and you will feel happy.")

That is the power of Torah commandments. Even if we may not feel like giving charity or praying at this particular moment, by having a "mitzvah" obligation to do so, we are in a framework to become inspired. At that point we can infuse that act of charity or prayer with all the meaning and lift it can provide. But if we'd wait until being inspired, we might be waiting a very long time.

May the Almighty bless you with the clarity to see your progress, and may you do so with joy.

In 1940, a boatload 1,600 Jewish immigrants fleeing Hitler's ovens was denied entry into the port of Haifa; the British deported them to the island of Mauritius. At the time, the British had acceded to Arab demands and restricted Jewish immigration into Palestine. The urgent plight of European Jewry generated an "illegal" immigration movement, but the British were vigilant in denying entry. Some ships, such as the Struma, sunk and their hundreds of passengers killed.

If you seize too much, you are left with nothing. If you take less, you may retain it (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

Sometimes our appetites are insatiable; more accurately, we act as though they were insatiable. The Midrash states that a person may never be satisfied. "If he has one hundred, he wants two hundred. If he gets two hundred, he wants four hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34). How often have we seen people whose insatiable desire for material wealth resulted in their losing everything, much like the gambler whose constant urge to win results in total loss.

People's bodies are finite, and their actual needs are limited. The endless pursuit for more wealth than they can use is nothing more than an elusive belief that they can live forever (Psalms 49:10).

The one part of us which is indeed infinite is our neshamah (soul), which, being of Divine origin, can crave and achieve infinity and eternity, and such craving is characteristic of spiritual growth.

How strange that we tend to give the body much more than it can possibly handle, and the neshamah so much less than it needs!